1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to medical devices and, in particular, to a boot made of bio-compatible material and used for smoothing the external shape of an implantable medical device.
2. Discussion of the Prior Art
In the past, implantable medical devices, have typically been housed in titanium or stainless steel containers.
The sharp corners usually incorporated into these conventional metal containers to obtain a compact design can cause patient discomfort and tissue erosion if the device interferes with the patient's bone or tissue. They are also relatively heavy.
A fabric boot/pouch has also been used over implanted pacemakers to reduce post-operative oozing and to fix the pacemaker to the tissues. See V. Parsonnet, "A Stretch Fabric Pouch for Implanted Pacemakers", Archives of Surgery, Vol. 5, No. 4, October 1972.
However the thin Dacron fabric cover provides no cushioning effect. Moreover, the fabric pouch conforms closely to the shape of the metal device container and, therefore, does not smooth the container's sharp corner radii.